Library

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Article from California Earthquake Authority on the benefits of retrofitting homes to withstand earthquake forces, with a focus on foundations, walls, and chimneys.

Article from Green Building Advisor on strategies to take when building homes to reduce the need for air conditioning, including insulation, windows, site selection, and roofing.

A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.

A PDF containing the SERC Solar PV System Field-Inspection Checklist.

Calculator determining the appropriate design pressures for steep-slope roof coverings for roofers and evlauators.

Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.

Checklist highlighting key concepts of wind design uplift pressures and design uplift pressure ratings for proper selection and installation of residential roof covering systems to comply with section R905.1 of the 2015 International Residential Code for a FORTIFIED Roof™–New Roof designation.

Website offering an online training that teaches disaster-resistant best practices for roofers.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.

Checklist for verifying FORTIFIED levels and documentation needed.

A structural insulated panel (SIP) roof has no embedded lumber in the structure, and therefore nothing substantial for attaching PV array and solar hot water mounts. Single or double lumber splines could be put into the panels, or I-joists at 4-foot intervals could be added.

A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Article describing how to counterflash a chimney by tucking the upper pieces of counterflashing into the chimney mortar joints and overlapping them over the various pieces of base flashing, which are nailed to the roof deck.

Article describing the insurance savings of a home with a hip roof versus a gable roof from the perspective of an insurance advisor.

An installation training manual discussing the installation of metal roofing materials and related accessories, for both new construction and retrofit projects.

This report requires all elements of rooftop PV panel systems to be designed for component and cladding pressures per ASCE 7-10.

Report providing extensive guidance on controlling moisture in building envelopes through proper selection and installation on air, water, thermal, and vapor barriers.

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

Webpage explaining how to mitigate heat loss through roofs for ice dam prevention.

An EPA guide describing the causes and impacts of summertime urban heat islands, promoting strategies for lowering temperatures in U.S. communities.

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Factsheet providing homeowners with an overview of approaches for flashing and sealing roof penetrations to help discussion with a roofing contractor.

Fact sheet describing flashing of roof penetrations to make a home more resistant to high winds, hurricanes, and rainwater intrusion.

Report covering non-combustible continuous exterior insulation and non-combustible roof venting.

Report informing building stakeholders about the risks a snow event poses to their buildings, preventative measures to take before the snow season, and actions that should be taken before, during, and after a snow event.

Fact sheet describing the test procedure for wind and wind driven rain resistance of discontinuous roofing systems.

Manuals describing design, materials, and installation techniques applicable to almost all types of roof systems; four-volume set includes Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems, Membrane Roof Systems, Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control, and Steep-Slope Roof Systems.

Article from Purdue University on the potential for white paint technology to lower air conditioning usage requirements.